Marine propulsion device



July 7, 1931. J. H. PIERCE MARINE PROPULSION DEVICE ori inal Filed on. 10, 1924 INVENTOR- J/YMES H P/EfiCE ATTORNEY seamed July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES I Re. 18,118

PATENT OFFICE JAIEB a. rumor, or BAY cm, moment, assrenon 'ro .ronnson BROTHERS momma-mo ,coaroaarron, or waoxnean; ILLINOIS, A conroaa'rron or IIDIANA.

mama rnorunsrox DEVICE 011811111 Ho.'1,679,884, dated April 6, 1926, Serial ll'o. 742,814, filed October 10, 1924. Application for reissue filed April 3, 1928. Serial K0. 267,076,

J This invention relates to improvements in marine propulsion devices, and particularly to the submerged gear case and propeller shaft housing assembly of the conventional 7 outboard motor.

One object of the invention is to design a propeller shaft housing and gear case assembl e water to the water jacket-of the 10' motor and whereby the usual pump is elim- .tial design,

Another object is to design power and propeller shaft housings of simple and substanand in which water intake and overflow passages arecored in or piped to the water jacket of the motor.

- In the drawings,-f-'

A further object is to design a gear casing to eliminate the possibility of sand or water getting into the gears or propeller shaft bearings.

The above and other-objects will appear as the specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which I have shown the preferred embodi 'ment of my invention, and in which like reference numerals indicate'like parts throughout the several views thereof.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a power shaft housing gear case and propeller shaft housing.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line. 2-2

of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a-front view thereof.

Fig. 4 is also a sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 2 showing an alternate form of construction. s;

It has always been somewhat troublesome in outboard motors to provide simple means for forcing water up to cool the cylinders of portablemotors of this type, as it 'withv ves V vice and these valves stickand grind due' to the sand and foreign matter taken into 1 the water,.with the consequent loss of necessitates a force pump equipped general] operated by a cam or other dethe pump with the water,'the pump is there-' fore sub'ect to' clogg1ng," it also necessitates. a b design which must be forced through power,

having new and novel means for foreshort lived, expensive to build, and

ing a structure not affected by sand and forei n matter and which has no movable parts.

11 my improved design I provide a vertically extending power shaft housing which can be cast of aluminum or other light metal, this is preferably wedge shaped as shown, the edges being thin and sharp to eliminate water resistance and being mounted in a well known manner to turn about a vertical axis forming a rudder, for steering, the housing extending both above and-below the normal water line.

A power shaft 3 is rotatably mounted in this power shaft housing which is cored to receive it, and a bushing 4 is fitted to the .lower end thereof which is cored to form a 1 gear casing,

a thrust bearing 5 being mounted in this bushing, and a} bevel gear 6 is keyed on the lower end of the power shaft, meshing with and driving a bevel gear 7 mounted on a propeller shaft 8, which is journaled in a propeller shaft housing 9, this housing is cylindrical in shape, the top half being cast integral'with the power shaft housing, the lower half being machined and fitted thereto, and is held in place by screws (not shown) in the usual-manner. Bearings 10 andll are mounted in this housing, and the propeller shaft 8 is journaled thereon, the one end projecting beyond the housing and having a propeller member 12 fixed thereon, the front end of the shaft being journaled in a sleeve bearing 13 formed in the housing proper. It will also be obvious that the front end or nose of' the housing can be formed separate I the end or 'nose of the propeller shaft housing, and leads to a chamber 15 through which the propeller shaft extends, said chamber communlcatlng with an upwardly extending vpassage'lfi formed in the power shaft, hous- A spiral 17 formed of thin metal, is

ller shaft 8 in this mounted on the pro chamber 15, and as t e water enters through said port, the spiral forces it up this passage and to the water jacket of the engine, (not eating with the intake 1 and means shown). mounted in the said housing for forcing Asimilar ge18isformedontheopwater'uptheintake p 'te side of the power shaft for accommo- 4. In a marine ropulsion device provid- 5 the overflow or discharge, and opens ed with a power ft housing, a pro adjacent the propeller and below the shaft housing formed integral therewi in- 1 water e, locating the overflow at this point 1 take and outlet 1 in said power shaft also has its advantages,as the displacement housing, anin r portin thepropeller shaft of water by the propeller sets up a partial housing and communicating with the said inm vacuum to accelerate the circulation or flow take ,and a spiral terposed between 7 of the water in the water jacket, further, said port and said when reversing with a motor where avcon 5. In a marine ropulsion device rovided ventional pum is used, the supply is either with apowersha o ,apro er shaft entirely out o or reduced to such extent as housing in intake and outu to .be entirely insuflicient, In my improved a ormedin said wershafthousso construction afull supplyis regarding, an intake port in .sai propeller shaft less of the direction ofrotation of the motor, housing and communicating with said intake as the reversing thereof merely reverses the and aspiralinterpo'sedsaid direction of flow of water to the water jacket, port and said forforcingwater into so the propeller forcing it intothe p 18, said o 1, the spiral 17 forcing it out of the in port 6. In amarine propulsion device provided. above described. p with a vertically disposed wedge shaped .InFigAofthedrawingsIhaveshownan powershafthousing ha sharpedges,a alternate form of construction, the wer gear on the lower ens thereof, a prog5 Bhlfl; housing being p with tll 0f pellet shaft I Ii| ,mr intakg and outlet brass or copper secured therem for the propassages adjacent t power shaft and below peller shaft and water H w 1 this makes the normal water line, and an intakeport in :a very light and economl housing,the the propeller shaft housing and communiprinciple identical] similar to eating with said intake p an above descri Itwill beobvious that- 7. In a marine ropulsion a screen should be placed over the port I with a power housing, intake and 'outlet to exclude chips, weeds and foreign matter. I z-o: th r i a wer sh ft journaled From the foregoing descri tion it he therein, a ropeller sgft housing below said obvious that I have perfected a very simple, power sha hous'ng, a propeller shaft there- 7 l6" substantial md economical manne propulin, and having driving connection with said' sion device which is very eflicient m operapower shaft, an intake port in the pro tion, and iscomposed of a, number shaft housing and communicating wi the of%?' intake w andaspiralmountedonthe tI claim-1s: propeller sh and interposed in said 40 1. Inamarine ropulsion dev 1ceprov1ded p a with a vertically 0 w knife edged wedge 8. a'marine propulsion device provided shshzptedpower shaft .hous1ng, a propeller with a yertical power shaft housing, a proh a power shaft 1n said power peller shaft housing integral therewith, inshaft housing water intake and outlet take and outlet w v 45 sages-ad acentthe wershaft, andanmtake power shaft j l rein, and ha 110 port m the pro ershaft housing and oolpdri connection with a propeller mun catmgw SIl-ld intake r: jon ed in the ropeller shaft housing, a

2. In amarme repulsion vice provided propeller mounteif thereon, aspiral mounted.

withaverticallyu :H powershafthouson said shaftinthesaid j '50 gq gg d lyp lgs e h port communicating with-said intake pas- 1 hous1ngmtegraltherew1th',watermtakeand sage, and a discharge adjacent 05- 3mm; s

outlet 0 I a: in power Shift theIIIDPOHBI. in portirrthepropellersheftzhousin 9. Inamarim'ropulsion device provided andcommumcating wlth the Intake w a with a vertically D '1 power shaft houss5 andaspiralinterposed'betweensaidportand'ingalo 'tudinally ropellershaflfl saidpasage for forcing water up-sa id inf housing ormed integral the fewi intake take I and outlet. formed'insaid' using 3. a marine propulslondevice formed and forming a with the I a mth-avertrcally POWGI'MJIOES- waterjacke't of a motor, an intake port in so ing,along tndmallydispomdpropellers haftftfianoeeofthep integral therewith, a propeller ourcommunicating the intake pamage, and J intake and outlet pasan outlet port in the power shaft housing msa d-h0us1ng,an'outletporto" 1 'directlyadjacentthepropeller. a d1rectlyad]acentthepropel 1er,anm -.po1 't 1Q. In a marine propulsion'device pro-- v as mthe propeller-shaft housmgand commumvided withapowershafthousing,apropeller' shaft housing inte altherewith, a propeller shaft journaled t erein, intake and outlet passages in said housing and forming a continuous circuit with the waterwjacket of a motor, an intake port in the propeller shaft housing, and a spiral mounted on the propellershaft and interposed in said intake passage.

11. In a marine propulsion device provided with a power shaft having drivin connection with a propeller shaft journale in a propeller shaft housing, intake and outlet passages adjacent said power shaft, an intake port in said gear casing and connecting with said intake passage, and a. spiral mounted on the propeller shaft. and interposed in said intakepas'sage. I

12. In a marine propulsion device provided with a vertically disposed knife edged symmetrical wedge shaped power shaft housing a propeller shaft housing formed integral therewith, and intake and discharge passages in said propeller shaft and power shaft housings opening below the normal water level.

13. In a device of the type described, in combination, a propeller shaft housing for an outboard motor, a propeller shaft in said housing, and a water impeller carried by and directly driven by said propeller shaft, said water impeller being. completely enclosed'by said housing/the nose of said housing being provided with an opening exposed to the force of the flow of water relative to said hous in leading to said impeller, and said housing being provided with a passage for thedischarge of water from said impeller.

14. In a-device of the type described, in combination, a vertically disposed power shaft housing, a horizontally disposed propeller shaft housing carried by said power shaft housing, a power shaft in said power shaft housing, a propeller shaft in said propeller shaft housing, gears connecting said shafts, said propeller shaft housing being formed to also provide a pump chamber, said propeller shaft housing being provided with an opening leading into said chamber open- I ing toward the normal path of water flowing toward said propeller shaft housing, a water impeller in said'chamber carried by said propeller shaft and fixed against rotation rela tive thereto, and an engine water inlet passage in said housings for receiving water from said impeller.

15. In amarine'pro ulsion device, in combination, a power sha housing, apropeller shaft housing carried thereby" and disposed at substantially right angles thereto, each of said housings being provided with a bore, shafts in said bores operatively connected to each other, the bore in said propeller shaft housing being enlarged adjacent the nose thereof to form 'a chamber surrounding the .shaft therein, a water impeller of the slngle unit type secured to said shaft within said combination, a vertically dis osed closed by extending from said chamber.

16. In an outboard motor construction, in ower shaft housing, a horizontally 'spose propeller shaft housing connected to the lower end thereof, a power shaft in said power shaft housing, a propeller shaft in said propeller shaft housing, a gear on said power shaft, a

at on said propeller shaft meshin with the first mentioned gears, said gears in enthe sing e member type secured to said pro peller shaft within said propeller shaft housinggsaid impeller being substantially no larger in diameter than said gear on said propeller shaft, an inlet passage leading to said impeller, and an outlet passage leading from said impeller. I

17. In an outboard motor construction, in combination, a vertically disposed wer shaft housin a horizontally disposed propeller shaft housing connected to the lower end thereof, a power-shaft in said power shaft housing, a propeller shaft'in said propeller shaft housing, a gear on said power shaft, a gear on said propeller shaft meshin with the-first mentioned gears, said gears being enclosed by said housing, a water impeller of the single rotating member type fixed to said propeller shaft in concentric relation therewith within said propellershaft housing, said impeller being substantially no larger in diameter than said gear on said propeller shaft, an

housing, a lon itudinally disposed propeller shaft housing ormed integral therewith, intake and outlet passages formed in said housing and forming a continuous circuit'with the water jacket of a motor, the intake passage being disposed between the front edge of the housing and the shaft bore therein and terminating in an intake port in the nose of the propeller shaft housing, and the outlet passage being disposed between the rear edge of the housing and the shaft bore therein and terminating in an outlet port in the powershaft housing directly adjacent the propeller.

19. An outboard motor assembly wherein the propeller-carrying member forms a rudder' for steering 'and is of stream-lineconstruction throughout its height and extends to above the water line.

7 JAMES H. PIERCE.

said'housing, a water impe er of DISCLAIMER Be. 18, 118. Jdme H. Pierce, Bay Cit Mich. MAmmi PROPULSION DEVICE.

Patent dated July 7, 1931. Disc aimer filed March 2, 1940, by theassignee, Outboard, Marine and Manufacturing Company.

Hereb disclaims the subject matter of claim 19 of said reissue patent.

[Jjflicial Gazette Mar-ch26, 1940.] 

